3 h. ago How much fees and charges for council services in Merthyr could increase next year

A standard 2.5% increase looks set to be implemented but some areas are under review

Politics

6 h. ago Council warns of 'difficult' year ahead of social services contacts rise

The report outlined the overall performance of the service throughout the year

Events

5 d. ago Council drops school music service cuts as final draft budget approved

The plans will go for final approval next week with other cuts still on the table

Culture

5 d. ago Pay to get playlisted? The accusations against Spotify’s Discovery Mode

Discovery Mode gets artists noticed in exchange for a 30% royalty reduction. A new book suggests that the platform is squeezing musicians and misleading listenersIn November 2020, Spotify published an opaque headline on its company blog: “Amplifying Artist Input in Your Personalised Recommendations.” The post introduced a new program called Discovery Mode, which would ask artists to accept lower royalty rates in exchange for algorithmic promotion. It was pay-to-play, but Spotify introduced the scheme using neutral language: artists would be able to “identify music that’s a priority for them”, which would become one of “thousands” of data inputs influencing how Spotify delivers “the perfect song for the moment, just for you”. Rather than charge an upfront fee, “labels or rights-holders agree to be paid a promotional recording royalty rate for streams in personalised listening sessions where Spotify provided this service”.Participating artists and labels take a 30% royalty reduction o...

Economics

6 d. ago Renfrewshire Council admits AI service is still 'learning' as some customers experience difficulty

Local authority introduced artificial intelligence powered technology to its customer contact centre in November.

Economics

7 d. ago Cost of West Lothian council services set to rise by an average of up to five per cent

Councillors will meet in Livingston next Tuesday, February 25, to set this year’s revenue and capital budget for West Lothian.

Politics